ENTRANCE DEVICE

Abstract: An entrance device for placement in the facade (1) of a building , comprising a revolving door (2), a sliding door (3), an air treatment device (4) and/or an air curtain, which can be switched on or off in order to allow the entrance device to be adapted to environmental circumstances. The entrance device may comprise a control system, including sensors for measuring environmental parameters, such as temperature, air humidity, wind speed etc., in order to be able to determine the most optimal operating mode of the entrance device.

Description: Entrance device The invention relates to an entrance device for pla¬ cement in the facade of a building, comprising an entrance means. Known entrance devices of this type exist, for example, of a revolving door or a sliding door. Revolving doors are highly energy-saving and present an optimal draught exclusion, although they have a limited capacity and are of a closed nature, whereas sliding doors allow a larger capacity, but do not prevent draught. Other entrance devices, such as air curtains, have other specific advantages and disadvan¬ tages. The invention now aims to provide an entrance device which has the advantages of the above-mentioned known entrance devices, but not the disadvantages. To this end, the entrance device according to the invention is characterized in that at least two entrance means are provided, which are switchable in order to use the entrance device in different ways. According to the invention, an entrance device can be obtained which can be adapted to environmental circumstances and which is thus able to guarantee optimal comfort, a low energy use and a desired capacity, throughout the year. A favourable embodiment of the entrance device accor¬ ding to the invention is characterized by a programmable con- trol system including sensors for measuring environmental pa¬ rameters, such as temperature, air humidity, wind speed or the like, to determine, on the basis thereof, the most convenient way of using the entrance means. By these measures, the control system can determine, on the basis of measurements and the programme, the most ideal operating mode of the entrance device and either automatically switch, or give an advice as to which operating mode of the entrance device is the most convenient for the circumstances concerned. According to the invention, the entrance means may for example comprise a revolving door, an automatic sliding door, an air treatment device and/or an air curtain, which can be activated separately or, possibly, in different combina- tions. In this way, an entrance device is obtained which pro¬ vides great comfort as well as being user friendly for the manager of the building concerned. The invention will hereinafter be illustrated with reference to the drawings, which give a highly schematic rep¬ resentation of an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 is a highly schematic plan view of the embodi¬ ment of the entrance device according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the control system of the entrance device of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows an entrance device placed in an outer wall or facade of a building. In this exemplary embodiment, the entrance device comprises a revolving door lock 2, an au¬ tomatic sliding door 3 and an air treatment device 4. The re- volving door lock consists, in this case, of two revolving doors 5 and 6 which can each revolve about a vertical axis 9 and 10, respectively, within two casing walls 7 and 8, respec¬ tively, having the shape of a segment of a circle. Between both revolving doors 5, 6 of the revolving door lock 2, an intermediate part or corridor 13 is positioned, offering space to a sliding door 3 and an air treatment device 4 in its ceil¬ ing. The revolving doors 5, 6 each consist of two aligned door wings, which are provided on both sides of the axis 9, 10 con¬ cerned and which either constitute an integral unit or consist of separate parts. The revolving doors 5, 6 are driven by a synchronized driving device, which, in this case, consists of two electric motors 11, 12, which are synchronized electroni¬ cally. In the normal operating mode, both revolving doors 5, 6 revolve synchronously, in such a way that the revolving doors 5, 6 are angularly offset 90° with respect to each other. As a result of this, the passage is always closed by at least one revolving door, so that the draught-preventing effect is guaranteed at all times. In the position represented in Fig. 1, the revolving door lock 2 is inoperative, the revolving doors 5, 6 being secured in alignment, parallel to the pass¬ age. Further details of this revolving door lock can be found in the earlier Dutch Patent No. 9201723, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. As mentioned before, an intermediate part is posi- tioned between the revolving doors 5, 6, which houses an auto- matic sliding door including detection means (not represented) and a driving means 14. This sliding door may, as desired, close the entrance device, be secured in an opened position or function as an automatic sliding door. The sliding door may, instead of straight panels, also comprise sliding panels, which have the shape of a segment of a circle and which are adapted to the curvature of the casing walls 7, 8, and can therefore move on the outer side thereof. The air treatment device 4, which, for example, con- sists of an air heater for heating the air coming from outside through the sliding door 3. The air treatment device 4 could be replaced by or supplemented with an air curtain, as is known in the art. According to the invention, the operation of the entrance device is controlled by a control system, as has been represented schematically in Fig. 1 and 2, which makes sure that the entrance device operates in the most optimal way for the environmental circumstances concerned, in particular the weather conditions. Thus, the entrance device will function as a revolving door in cold or windy weather. In a calmer type of weather, the revolving doors 5, 6 can be secured in the rest or summer position, and the sliding door 3 can be switched on, while in cold weather the air treatment device 4 can be switched on as well. When the weather is very fine, the entrance device can be opened completely. In order to achieve this automatic operation, the control system comprises one or more indoor sensors 15 and a plurality of outdoor sensors 16. These sensors may, for example, consist of temperature gauges, hygrometers, wind gauges, pressure gauges (for measuring any pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the building) and poss¬ ibly other sensors. These sensors 15, 16 are connected to a processing unit 17 including a display 18 for presenting data, such as the parameters measured. The processing unit is con- nected with a* system control 19 having actuating elements 20 for influencing the system control from outside. The system control controls the revolving door lock 2, the sliding door 3 and the air treatment device 4. This control can be fully au¬ tomatic, which means that the desired entrance mode is selected on the basis of the parameters measured and the data stored in the memory of the processing unit. Alternatively, the control system can be semi-automatic, giving an advice on the basis of the parameters measured as to what is the most optimal operating mode of the entrance device, which advice may, or may not, be followed by an operator and an adjustment may be made by way of the actuating elements 20. It is, of course, also possible to switch over completely to manual ope¬ ration, and take no account of the parameters measured. A man¬ ager of a supermarket may, for example, still decide to use the sliding door in windy weather, when it is very busy and a large capacity is desired. The comfort and the energy saving effect may thus be sacrificed to some extent to that end. It will be clear from the foregoing that the inven¬ tion provides an entrance device which excels in versatility and user comfort. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodi¬ ment represented in the drawings and described in the fore¬ going, which can be varied in various ways within the scope of the invention. It is, for example, possible to replace the revolving door lock represented in the drawings by a single two, three or four-wing revolving door, in which former case the sliding door can be incorporated in the wings of the two- wing revolving door. The sliding door may be equipped with a one or two-sided escape facility to provide an emergency exit by flapping away the panels when pressure is exerted on the middle of the sliding door.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Entrance device for placement in the facade of a building, comprising an entrance means, characterized in that at least two entrance means are provided, which are switchable in order to use the entrance device in different ways. 2. Entrance device according to claim l, character¬ ized by a programmable control system (17, 18) including sen¬ sors (15, 16) for measuring environmental parameters, such as temperature, air humidity, wind speed or the like, to deter¬ mine, on the basis thereof, the most convenient way of using the entrance means. 3. Entrance device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the entrance means comprise a revolving door (2) . 4. Entrance device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , in which the entrance means comprise an automatic sliding door (3). 5. Entrance device according to claim 4, in which the automatic sliding door is incorporated in the revolving door. 6. Entrance device according to claim 4, in which the automatic sliding door (3) is formed by sliding panels, inde- pendently of the door wings of the revolving door (2) , and the revolving door (2) can be put in an opened passage position. 7. Entrance device according to any of the preceding claims, which also comprises an air treatment device (4) and/or an air curtain as entrance means. 8. Entrance device according to any of claims 2-7, in which the control system (17-20) is semi-automatic and an advice is given on the basis of the parameters measured by the sensors (15, 16) . 9. Entrance device according to any of claims 2-7, in which the control system (17-20) is fully automatic and the operation of the entrance device is adjusted on the basis of the parameters measured by the sensors (15, 16). 10. Entrance device according to claim 9, in which the fully automatic control system (17-20) is switchable to semi-automatic or manual operation.

Inventors: HUBER JACOB ROBERT ALFRED, HUBER, JACOB, ROBERT, ALFRED
Applicants: BOON EDAM BV, HUBER JACOB ROBERT ALFRED, BOON EDAM B.V., HUBER, JACOB, ROBERT, ALFRED
Application year: 1994
Main classification: E06B3
IPC codes: E05F15, E06B3